A look at the Emmy nominees for best drama reveal not one show from the broadcast networks but
four cable series,
Downton Abbey from PBS and one online offering.

House of Cards, a Netflix political drama starring Kevin Spacey, will vie for the top
trophy on Sunday alongside heavy hitters such as
Homeland and
Mad Men.

Cards has already won early Emmys for casting and cinematography.

With the February debut of its first big-name, big-money original production (all 13 episodes
available at once), Netflix changed the image of streaming video from its early days of cute cat
clips and viral selfies.

The service then cemented its status as an alternative for series with the thriller
Hemlock Grove and new episodes of
Arrested Development.

Other streaming outlets have also picked up the pace — and widened the program options. Rival
subscription service Hulu provided a platform for former ABC soap operas
All My Children and
One Life To Live; then launched Seth Meyers’ animated comedy,
The Awesomes.

Even Amazon jumped in, asking its Instant Video users to watch original pilots and choose which
ones they would like to see as series.

In the fall, TV critics’ annual top-10 lists might well include both
House of Cards and fellow Netflix original
Orange Is the New Black, a prison portrait from
Weeds creator Jenji Kohan.

And streaming is only getting started. Having pushed beyond computers into set-top boxes such as
TiVo and Roku, it’s moving onto mobile tablets and phones. More “smart TV” sets are being sold,
with wireless capability built in, turning streaming into “real” television. Soon, even your
Luddite parents will get it.

Some of the series to expect in the fall:

Amazon

(amazon.com/vod)

• Alpha House (no date set): John Goodman and Mark Consuelos star in a comedy about four
roommate senators, from Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau.

• Betas (no date set): The comedy about a Silicon Valley startup features Joe Dinicol and
Charlie Saxton, and is directed by Michael Lehmann (Heathers).

Crackle

(crackle.com/shows)

• Cleaners (November): David Arquette, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Gina Gershon and Emily Osment star in
a tale about two hit women who discover a sedated 8-year-old in their car trunk.

• The Bannen Way (no date set for season two): Mark Gantt stars in a tale about a con man.

Hulu

(hulu.com/originals)

• Fugget About It (Oct. 13): The animated sitcom concerns a New York mobster under witness
protection in Canada. The guest voice actors include Howie Mandel.

• Behind the Mask (Oct. 29): The documentary series about sports mascots is from filmmaker Josh
Greenbaum (The Short Game).